Dieting is a word that most hate to hear. There is something that every person wishes they could change about their appearance, and usually weight is one of the most picked choice. A few years ago I had decided I was tired of being fat. I didn’t have the energy I would of like to, and I wanted to be able to shop and buy clothes that didn’t resemble table cloths. I had researched several different diet plans including low-carb, low-fat, low-calorie, liquid, and anything that was the latest diet fad. I decided to use some of each diet plan, and customize one I thought I could live with. I have PCOS and it makes dieting even harder. ( See my article about Living with PCOS).
Dieting is never fun. You are forced to give up all the delicious foods that are on every other commercial. You have to spend hours a day exercising and getting all sweaty. While I knew this would not be fun or easy, I knew it had to be done. I had to start a diet and lose weight to be healthier. The day before I planned to start the diet I made a shopping list and rid the house of anything unhealthy or tempting. I filled the refrigerator with fresh fruits and vegetables. I researched various recipes to try that were healthy. I also bought a Gazelle exercise machine. I would love to go to the gym and use their great exercise equipment, but I don’t have the self esteem to do so.
The day had came, I was going to lose weight. I weighed myself and took all my measurements. I had read that you might not see a change in the numbers on the scale, but you will see a difference in the body measurements. The first day of the diet was easier than I had thought it would be. I had stuck to the diet plan I created and got in an hour of exercise. I was really pleased with myself. The next day I got on the scale and had lost three pounds. I was very excited, this was the motivation I needed to keep on. Every day I was seeing a difference in the way my clothes were fitting. The numbers on the scale were heading in the right direction, down.
A typical day’s menu would consist of the following. Usually I would keep my total daily calories under 1,000.
Breakfast
Low-fat Yogurt
Apple
Bottle of water
Lunch
Salad with low-fat dressing, or salad seasoning
Water
Afternoon snack
Strawberry smoothie made from ice and strawberries in the blender. Sometimes I would add protein powder.
Water
Dinner
Salad with low-fat dressing
Small piece of chicken breast
Pickle
Water
I drank tons of water. I had a big cup that held 64 ounces, and I would refill it three or four times a day. I didn’t eat anything after five in the afternoon.
I would exercise everyday using the Gazelle. I could do around two or three miles a day. I also used the exercise videos from the Walk Away the Pounds series.
These were easy to do exercises, that didn’t place a strain on my body. This exercise routine would take around two hours a day. I also had a weight lifting machine that I would use a couple times a week.
The weight was coming off pretty steadily. I was losing about two pounds a day.I had gone down a few sizes in clothing and could actually buy things from the regular womens department instead of the plus sized. After about four months of dieting I was becoming tired of the same foods all the time. I also missed eating chocolate. I never ate a lot of junk food, but it was nice to have once in awhile. Knowing that I could not eat it made me want it that much more. Soon I decided I would try adding in a little more food each day. I ate regular meals that I prepared for my family, but in smaller portions. Soon the weight loss stopped.
It wasn’t long before I noticed the pounds were coming back on.
This was very depressing, I had swore I wouldn’t let the weight come back. Slowly the exercising for two hours a day was shortened to one and then thirty minutes. I had really enjoyed the exercise when I was losing the weight, but it didn’t seem so fun while I was gaining. Two months after I had lost the 65 pounds, the weight had returned. With in the four months after the 65 pound weight loss I had gained it all back plus some.
I realized the diet plan I had created was not something I could live with forever, and doomed myself to fail.
I have not dieted since then, but I have choose to cook healthier meals, and include exercise every day. I have not lost any weight, but I have also not gained anymore. I will find a way of eating that I can live with for long term, and maybe I will be successful in my weight loss battle.
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